Commute From The Woodlands To Downtown?

[kzseattle]

One last neighborhood goal is: warm climate.

Winter stinks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am also in IT, and did exactly the same thing as Seattle got too expensive. I also considered the same cities you are looking at. Eventually, I ended up in Houston. However, I found the job first and then moved. You seem to be doing it the other way.

As for Sienna Plantation, Fort Bend Tollway is right at its doorstep and it would take you near TMC in a few minutes. Currently, I think its completed upto BW8 so from there you would have to take 59. Thats still better than taking HW6 to 59.

[kjb434]

The are fast finishing the section of the Fort Bend Tollway inside the Belway to US 90. This will allow you to take US 90 into the south loop areas to get to the TMC.

Eventually the tollway will connect to I-610 at south Post Oak.

[Observer]

I am also in IT, and did exactly the same thing as Seattle got too expensive. I also

considered the same cities you are looking at. Eventually, I ended up in Houston.

However, I found the job first and then moved. You seem to be doing it the other way.

How is the IT job market in Houston? Was it difficult to find a

gig? I intend to target the financial services corporations.

As for the order, job first vs location first, if we make the move

to only where there's a quick job opening, we'll never end up

living where we want to live.

I've been developing large-scale Java-based apps for many

years, so if there are opportunities in Houston, things would

hopefully just work out.

Did you travel to the other cities you explored as well, to check

out their neignborhoods, etc?

Which cities were close or tied with Houston?

[Observer]

By the way, this thread has some horror stories about home

appreciation in the Houston area:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=1427

Is it difficult to sell a home in the Houston area? One guy mentions

taking a $45K loss because buyers would prefer new construction to

his 'old' house.

[kjb434]

yes,

that is a common problem in the burbs.

If there is a lot of new construction when you want to sell, you'll have to lower your prices.

You may have to stick to the house while until the place gets built out. Also, if you get a house that is already build from some trying to sell, you can get it much cheaper. Then reselling it at the lower price would be near the price you already paid for it.

Also, older houses will have trees that are more grown up and the neighborhood looks more mature.

[kzseattle]

By the way, this thread has some horror stories about home

appreciation in the Houston area:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=1427

Is it difficult to sell a home in the Houston area?

[Parrothead]

Amen to everything kzseattle said. Also, I actually took the Fort Bend Toll Road from the Medical Center to Sienna Plantation one day, here is my thread on it with times involved:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=1497

Sienna is really beautiful.

[Observer]

Thanks for the info KZ.

How about the IT job market in Houston, would you say

it's solid? Is the pay much less than Seattle? Something

like 75% less?

On specific Houston area home appreciation rates, I've

Googled on that for awhile, but didn't find much.

[f95kai]

Try har.com, subdivision price trends.

[kzseattle]

Thanks for the info KZ.

How about the IT job market in Houston, would you say

it's solid?  Is the pay much less than Seattle?  Something

like 75% less?

On specific Houston area home appreciation rates, I've

Googled on that for awhile, but didn't find much.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am not sure about the state of IT job market in Houston. I believe I targeted only two companies and was hired by one of them. Since you are actively seeking employment here, you may have a better idea than me.

Houston is certainly not as important a center of software development as Seattle, Bay Area or Boston. I think IT sector is more extensive in Austin and Dallas. However, in Dallas, it is mostly due to telecomm and semiconductor industry and Austin took a hit when dot-com bubble burst. However, among the three cities, Austin is surely more active in software development.

In Houston, I believe that NASA in southeast and HP in northwest Houston are large employers of software developers. BMC Software is another large software development company. Beside them, financial institutions and oil companies may have internal IT positions but I would imagine they are mostly related to the management of their IT infrastucture as opposed to Java development.

By the way, I know you mentioned that commute to DT would be important for you when looking for a house. However, since you dont have a job here yet, are you sure it would be in DT?

For salary info, you could look into www.salary.com. The pay is certianly less than San Jose area but that area is also expensive. However, compared to other places, pays in IT sector here would probably not be that different. By the way, salaries in Seattle aren't too high either because of Microsoft which was able to keep salary level low as employees cared more about stock options than their pays.

I know I got a salary boost when I moved here.

[txaggie]

You have probably visited Houston since your post, but here is what we have found.

There is about a 45 minute commute into the Galleria area or Downtown going down I 45 if you leave around 6 to 6:30 in the morning.

If you leave after that, plan on an hour or hour and half if you are going in on 45.

If you use the Hardy Toll road, it is going to cost you, but you can cut time off your morning commute, and it dumps you out at 610 around Hwy 59.

The evening commute might be longer.

The Northgate Crossing Community in the Woodlands is right at I 45 and has its own exit onto and off of the Hardy Toll Road.

The Woodlands Mall is nearby as well many new restaurants and fitness facilities,etc. They have all the same kinds of things you will find over in the Galleria area or the Sugarland (Greatwood) or Katy (Cinco Ranch) area.

For Sugarland, you go out 59 S. For Katy, you go I 10 E, which has major construction on it currently. The Galleria is at Loop 610 and Westheimer.

We wish you the best in your move to Houston.

[jpcampbell]

You have probably visited Houston since your post, but here is what we have found.

There is about a 45 minute commute into the Galleria area or Downtown going down I 45 if you leave around 6 to 6:30 in the morning.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm late coming into this thread, but I just found this forum.

I commute from The Woodlands to the Galleria every day. I'm pretty deep in The Woodlands (the Parkway and Branch Crossing), and it takes me 40 minutes with no traffic to get to San Felipe and I-610. I leave at 5am, but could leave any time before 6 and still make it in 45 minutes easily.

Coming home is about an hour at 6pm, but that is due to construction on 610 and San Felipe. It takes me 15 minutes to just get on the freeway sometimes.

jpc

[jpcampbell]

Houston is certainly not as important a center of software development as Seattle, Bay Area or Boston. I think IT sector is more extensive in Austin and Dallas. However, in Dallas, it is mostly due to telecomm and semiconductor industry and Austin took a hit when dot-com bubble burst. However, among the three cities, Austin is surely more active in software development.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I find that Houston has more overall software than Austin, but that Austin has more companies that would consider tech-centric. What I mean by this is that Houston has more industry in general and each of those industries employs there share of software developers. Austin is stronger in the hardware space, having many semiconductor, chip design shops, etc. There are probably more software startups in Austin too. But when I moved from San Jose to Texas, I got way more hits in Houston than Austin for my software skills. Before San Jose, I lived in Houston for almost my entire life and worked at a variety of places including BMC and MCIWorlcom.

Salaries are a tad bit lower in Houston, but the housing market more than makes up for hit. You might see a 10% decrease from areas like Silicon Valley. This is what I am seeing as I talk to my friends that are still there. And with the glut of tech talent in the valley, many times the salaries are higher here. Couple that with the cost of a house, and this is a great place to be.

jpc

[kjb434]

I heard that the housing market in the valley in and around San Jose are finally starting to soften with prices comming down because of the slump in the tech sector over there.

Is there any truth to that?

[jpcampbell]

I heard that the housing market in the valley in and around San Jose are finally starting to soften with prices comming down because of the slump in the tech sector over there.

Is there any truth to that?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not really. They are as high as ever. When I was there, there was nothing decent for under 500K and I just checked with my friend there and he says nothing has changed.

Our rent house that was 1500 sq. ft., no A/C, old, with a teeny backyard would go for about 800K.

I'm so glad to be back home!

[kjb434]

Hey,

Shepherd Plaza was getting some revitalization. I used to go to the gay bar Guava Lamp, but they moved to Waugh and D'Amico by the American General Building. The location is really nice and someone could redo the shopping center into a more "urban" style like making it two stories or taller will residential. It may be a pipe dream. I know the buildings can handle the extra floors because they were designed for parking on the top. They only thing is that is doesn't get used.

[jasons]

Hey Observer:

I am in the process of relocating to Houston myself, but I have lived here before so I am very familiar with the area.

The IT job market here is VERY healthy. There is a shortage of talent here, so finding an IT job is relatively easy. Dallas and Austin traditionally are labeled the IT

[bachanon]

welcome to the forum jasons, and welcome to the woodlands area.

[2112]

Welcome to the show.

[Observer]

Thanks for the additional info Jason!

We had planned to take a look at North Carolina homes next month near Research Triangle Park, which is booming. However, after weeks of looking at homes online there, we learned the homes are more expensive than the Houston area, and not in the same league as far as 'nice.'

All the nice stuff like brickwork, cathedral ceilings in the living room, etc, are far less common there. Most homes have vinyl siding.

So we're going back to Houston in a few weeks! We may be neighbors yet.

Oh, and I like the 'low key' signs on the retail stores, it was just that some stores seemed too hidden. It's hard to shop at a store if you don't know it's there.

On the Houston area, I still have some reservations on home appreciation. How do you folks deal with that issue? Coming from the Northeast, people here view their house as an investment, as well as a place to live. So if they spend $300K on a home, they may hope to sell it for double the price or more when they retire. But it seems in Houston you would actually move backwards with your 'nest egg' since you're paying 6% or more in interest on a house that's gaining in value at less than that rate.

Also, while there is no state tax income in Texas, we looked at a house that had $11,000 in property taxes (Missouri City), which is a serious hit.

Would love to hear other thoughts on these issues.

[jpcampbell]

On the Houston area, I still have some reservations on home appreciation.  How do you folks deal with that issue?  Coming from the Northeast, people here view their house as an investment, as well as a place to live.  So if they spend $300K on a home, they may hope to sell it for double the price or more when they retire.  But it seems in Houston you would actually move backwards with your 'nest egg' since you're paying 6% or more in interest on a house that's gaining in value at less than that rate.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't consider a home an investment at all unless you live in a very special area and plan on moving to a much cheaper area later. I live in The Woodlands because my family likes it, not because I expect my home values to pop. That being said Houston has shown appreciation in a lot of areas.

My parents bought a house in Timbergrove Manor in 1973 for 30K. They sold it in 1981 for about 125K. They also sold my grandmother's house in The Heights for 32K around that same time (early 80's). I looked recently on that same street and houses are going for 200K+. In 1999 we bought a house for 237K in Braes Heights. We sold it 6 months later for 246K (job change). Allison flooded the entire neighborhood, but it seems the value has rebounded and is around 300K now. I'm sure there are examples of similar appreciation others can give.

I would still be very leery of considering a home as a serious "investment". We have neighbors who moved from California after making a million dollars on their home they bought 30 years ago. They paid cash for their big houses here and are living it up. Don't expect that here.

However, please move down. It's a great area for many other reasons.

[cdipaolo]

Observer - if you are considering 350 in your reasonable range, you should consider the Memorial area. They have great (Spring Branch) schools and the commute would likely be shorter than First Colony.

[Observer]

Thanks for the additional feedback.

I can live with the lower appreciation, because for $300K up here, you get a really lame house. To convey exactly what I'm talking about, here's a house in a below average neighborhood, with below average schools:

http://www.realtor.com/FindHome/HomeListin...xlid=1042156899

That's $450K for that box, can you believe it? That's typical. And if you want nice schools, and remotely nice looking house, that will cost $600-750K.

It's absolutely crazy

And I'll agree that there are more reasons than financial to move to Houston -- the people are much nicer, and there seems to be more of a focus on the family.

It seems like a great place to raise kids.

As for the Memorial area, are those homes on the older side? (Yes, we're looking at $350K max.) Some of the new homes in the area are so incredible, that it would be tough to move into an older home.

Are there any nice 'acreage' communities within a 40-minute rush hour commute of downtown? It would be nice to have a full acre, or more. I'm amazed at how they stuff these large homes on 1/4 acre lots (or less) and the neighbor's house is literally 15 feet away. The towns shouldn't allow that.

I hear Kingswood (?) next to the Woodlands has larger plots, but that's a long commute and the schools are not as good as the Woodlands, right?

[RedScare]

Kingwood is actually closer than the Woodlands, and with US 59 having been expanded, you virtually fly into town.

[jpcampbell]

Kingwood is actually closer than the Woodlands, and with US 59 having been expanded, you virtually fly into town.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have to say the freeways on the north side are very much improved over the past. There are very few times that my commute on I-45 slows down at all and I'm usually leaving by 6pm.

Seven years ago, when I did a reverse commute from Downtown to The Woodlands, I took the Hardy every day as it was so congested and dangerous from construction. What a difference now!

[cdipaolo]

As for the Memorial area, are those homes on the older side?  (Yes, we're looking at $350K max.)  Some of the new homes in the area are so incredible, that it would be tough to move into an older home.

Yes, the houses in neighborhoods like Nottingham, Wilchester, Memorial Plaza, etc. are mostly between 1955-1965 from what I remember. I guess you'll just need to balance age of the home with length of commute. There are some Memorial homes that have been gutted and upgraded significantly. The "tear down neighborhoods" in Memorial where you can find new homes will cost more than 350k (Gaywood, Rustling Pines, etc.)

[jasons]

Hey Observer:

If you are looking for a larger lot, you might want to look at Legends Ranch Estates, which is close to The Woodlands off of Rayford Road. The have a few custom builders and acre+ wooded lots. This builder is one of about 5 or 6 there.

http://www.internest.com/imperialhomes/imp...lhomes16121.asp

There are also smaller lots in this section, but still good sized. A friend of mine is moving here from Dallas ans is getting a 2-story Brighton home on the water (with a 100' along the lake) for $225K. That would easily be over $300K in Dallas.

http://www.canyongate.com/communities/legendsranch/

You might also want to look at Imperial Oaks - David Weekley and Coventry are building in a gated section and you could get a very nice home in your price range.

http://www.imperialoaks.com/

We live in Imperial Oaks. I have been trying various commute routes and times. I work near the Galleria on Post Oak. My commute varies between 34 and 38 miles and the time runs from 40 minutes door-to-door to about an hour. The quickest way for me is to take the Hardy Toll Road, then US 59 (or I-45) to I-10, then cut across to 610/West Loop. That's 40 minutes flat and has few, if any backups at all. If I take I-45 down and 610 around it takes about an hour.

So far we have been very happy. We love it here and everything is conveniently close without feeling like we live in Sprawlburbia. It has been a bit of a challenge learning where all the stores and shops around The Woodlands are (due to the signage issue you cited) but in a few weeks we'll have it down. The best thing to do is simply search on the 'net before leaving if you need to find the nearest Starbucks.

Hope this helps!

[jpcampbell]

We live in Imperial Oaks. I have been trying various commute routes and times. I work near the Galleria on Post Oak. My commute varies between 34 and 38 miles and the time runs from 40 minutes door-to-door to about an hour. The quickest way for me is to take the Hardy Toll Road, then US 59 (or I-45) to I-10, then cut across to 610/West Loop. That's 40 minutes flat and has few, if any backups at all. If I take I-45 down and 610 around it takes about an hour.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What time of day are you commuting? I live 10 minutes west of I-45 on Woodlands Parkway, and I get to 610/San Felipe in 40 minutes by going I-45 to 610. I can make this time if I leave any time before 6:30am or so. Coming home yesterday at 6pm was the same. I left my desk at 6:15, down 15 floors, to the garage, and was in my garage before 7pm. My one way distance is 41 miles.

[jasons]

What time of day are you commuting?  I live 10 minutes west of I-45 on Woodlands Parkway, and I get to 610/San Felipe in 40 minutes by going I-45 to 610.  I can make this time if I leave any time before 6:30am or so.  Coming home yesterday at 6pm was the same.  I left my desk at 6:15, down 15 floors, to the garage, and was in my garage before 7pm.  My one way distance is 41 miles.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My commute time varies, altho I usually leave at about 7:30-7:45AM and leave in the evening 5:00-5:45PM. These are peak times and would explain why it may take a bit longer than if I left at say 6:30 AM.

In the evenings, I have noticed a big difference if I leave at 5:15 vs. 6:15. If I left at 6:15 I'd be home before 7 myself.

[RedScare]

When I lived on Budde Road, my best time to downtown was 26 minutes in my Porsche. Now, it takes me 6 minutes from the Heights in a Toyota Tundra. And, I could never approach that time on the drive home, since Hardy backed up so bad. Much as I liked the Woodlands while I was there, you can't beat living next to where you work, regardless of where work is.

BTW, you guys, has Hardy improved with the finishing of I45 construction, or do you still get the afternoon backup at the north end?